In Another Life
by ExodusLit
Summary: My life on earth was great, awesome, but it ended too soon. My next life? Didn't start of as great as I would have wanted it to be. OC-Self Insert
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

This was originally a very short chapter, so I edited it and it became even shorter. Oh well, it's the introduction anyway. Hope you like it (:

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My name was Catlyn. Why was? Because when I was eighteen, I got caught in an accident along with, if I remembered correctly, two other boys around my age. We were crossing the road in kind of a straight row so when the car came, we were lined up to get knocked into. I probably flew, crashed, and died.

When I regained consciousness, I immediately wished I could go back to being unconscious. My ears were filled with panic voices and distant screams. The air was thick with a kind of invisible yet perfectly tangible energy. I was drowning in it, and my lungs protested to the polluted air that I allowed in. I had never felt something like that in eighteen years of my life. I could not scream, I could not open my eyes, I could not move. I was frozen in fear by the killing intent that radiated from every direction. I brought my hands to my throat, in hope that death would save me from the agony.

Then suddenly, it disappeared. I could breathe and feel again, but I only saw blur splotches of light when I opened my eyes. The place was quiet, except for sobs that could be heard from a distance. I felt someone pick me up. Since when was I so small and light?

"Gomenasai... Mizuno-chan..." The lady who carried me apologized For what, I didn't know. I lifted my hands up and managed to cup the woman's cheeks. I felt her facial muscled move to what should have been a smile, before her arms went limp and I was caught by somebody else.

The people around me started talking in Japanese. I only recognized the language because of all the anime I watched. But of course, I couldn't understand what they were saying.

Why were they speaking Japanese? Who were they? Where was this? Why am I here? I had so many questions I couldn't even voice out. Not that they would understand anyway.

The man with a kind but powerful voice was saying something, and there was definitely something wrong with me, because I swear he sounded like the voice actor for the Third Hokage in Naruto. The fact that Kakashi's voice talked right after wasn't helping make things clear.

Then there was a sound of a baby crying. It was shrill and loud and I wanted to stick my fingers into my ears, but I couldn't. So I, too, opened my mouth to wail.

I stopped when I was picked up by a pair of arms and was gently shushed by the person. Reaching my hands out to feel the person, my palms had contact with a velvet cloth that covered half the guy's face. I giggled. It was so much like Kakashi's that I almost thought I somehow got reincarnated into the Naruto-universe.

I was passed to another person who had smoother arms and when she started singing, I was lulled into blissful sleep.

The subsequent times I woke up, I made it a priority to figure out where the hell I was. To say I was surprised was an understatement.

1) I really was a baby. Whether it was reincarnation or some kind of dream, I didn't know.

2) This wasn't my country. This wasn't even my world. It was the world of the anime I was pretty obsessed with back in my other life. I was in the Naruto-universe.

Another few things I figured out after a year:

1) I was born on the night of the Kyuubi attack.

2) I was an orphan.

3) Uzumaki Naruto was my twin brother.

Edited: 19/5/13


	2. Chapter 2: Happy Birthday

Chapter 2: Happy Birthday

SORRY FOR THE PREVIOUS POST! I tried to post from my phone but it was a fail so... here's a repost This should be better.

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My first birthday in Narutoverse was nothing like the one I had in my previous life. Obviously I could not remember it, but I had seen pictures of a baby me laughing as people were cheering me on to take my first steps.

But here, I had managed walking six months into my birth. I had to, in order to survive. Being the twin sister of the 'monster', I was treated the same way they treated Naruto. At the mere age of 1, I had learnt to speak Japanese from observation. I'm not saying I'm a genius, because I'm not, but being technically nineteen I felt that I should be able to at least form sentences after a year.

Naruto couldn't talk full sentences, but he could talk enough for me to understand. He managed to walk at the age of ten months, as he did his best to follow me while running away from the older kids who bullied us. No doubt on the caretakers orders.

So on our first birthday, I found myself half dragging Naruto through the corridors of our orphanage, a 4-story building about as big as an elementary school. When we ran out into the garden, I spotted the gate that was usually closed, opened.

I knew that if we ran out, the orphanage would not ever let us in again. They would prefer that we die after all. Deciding quickly, I led Naruto through the gate and out into the open world. Or open village. Whatever.

The bullies stopped chasing us after we left the orphanage, so we slowed our pace and started walking through the village. There was a festival going on, the one I knew was to celebrate the kyuubi's defeat. Naruto, who had never seen the village before, began running around excitedly, looking back only to see if I was following him.

We managed to walk for five minutes before trouble came. It started when people noticed us running around, and an annoying person had to go, "Hey! Doesn't that boy look like the demon child?"

Of course, some ANBU landed on him and took him away, but the damage was done. We were chased out of the festival area, and had to hide in a random training ground. As training grounds were forbidden to civilians, no one followed us there.

"Why they no like us?" Naruto asked, on the verge of crying. "I do sumthing wong?"

"They're just stupid, Naruto. It's not your fault." I told him, pulling him close.

"I no want them to hate me." he sobbed.

That put a smile on my face. "Then show them that you aren't what they say you are."

Naruto cuddled closer. "Mmmm.. Okay.." he said, as he drifted off to sleep.

I carefully untangled myself from him, and after making sure he was still asleep and comfortable, I wandered off.

I spotted a wooden sign with the number '7' on it, so I assumed it was training ground 7. I mean, what else could it be? If my memory served to be right, this was (or is going to be) Team 7's training ground. I went over to the three posts Team 7 would have been tied to for failing Kakashi's test. Eleven years, there was eleven years before that event would happen. Would it even happen, now that I'm here? What would have changed?

I walked around the post and looked at the memorial stone. In front of the stone stood a lone man. In his right hand held flowers, and in his left were oranges. He bent down and placed them in front of the stone, as some kind of offering to the dead. I channelled chakra to my ears, a trick I learnt to hear for bullies back in the orphanage.

"Minato-sensei..." the man whispered, "it's been a year since that day. I know you'll be disappointed at your people if you were alive. None of them treat Naruto as the hero he is. Even Mizuno is getting mistreated. What should I do?"

Oh boy, there were so many things he could do. For a start, providing food, clothes and a place to live would be great.

But of course he didn't know that, and he just stared quietly at the stone that could not reply him.

After awhile, he left and I ran out, heading straight for the oranges. Why give it to the dead when there are people alive who needs it?

"Hope you don't mind, dad," I muttered before brushing my fingers past his name and running off.

I strolled back to where I left Naruto and peeled the oranges for us.

"Naruto, wake up. I found food!" I shook him gently.

His eyes opened immediately at the sound of food, which made me laugh.

"What this?" he asked, trying one of the oranges.

"They're oranges. Some kind of fruit. Is it nice?" I replied.

"It's yummy!" he exclaimed.

I smiled, passing him another piece. "Happy birthday, Naruto."

"Hehe, Happy Birthday, Mizuno!" he grinned.

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Review? :3


	3. Chapter 3: The Uchiha Brothers

Heyy sorry for the LATE update! I hope a longer chapter makes up for it Enjoy (:

Chapter 3: The Uchiha Brothers

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"So what's today's mission?" Naruto asked.

It was a Saturday morning, Naruto and I just woke up from our bed in a tree I we lived in ever since we had left the orphanage. It was a little shabby, but at least there was something to shelter us, and somewhere we could call 'home'.

Our tree was located at training ground 37, a training ground that no one seemed to use. But during the occasional times that ninjas came, they left us alone. After all, it was generally only the civilian population that did mean stuff to us. Ninjas were smarter.

So for everyday for the past six years, I gave us 'missions' to pass time. Missions like 'steal food', 'steal clothes', 'watch the ninja and learn', or 'prank that guy who tried to beat us up yesterday'.

"Today's mission? Hmm..." I thought for awhile, "How about we finish the tree climbing exercise?"

"Whyyyyy... can't we do something fuuuunnn?" Naruto whined.

"No." I said sternly. "We're going to the academy soon. Do you want to be left behind?"

"No! I'm going to be the best ninja ever!" he exclaimed.

"Then let's get started!" I said cheerfully, before slinging my arm around his shoulders.

We each walked to a tree. Holding a wooden kunai each, we ran at it.

Chakra manipulation wasn't as difficult as I thought. As I did not have chakra in my previous life, I was more aware of this energy flowing through my body. It wasn't foreign to my body, but it was foreign to me. However, chakra didn't feel uncomfortable at all. The very opposite in fact. Chakra was useful when it isn't used for fighting too. Learning to warm my body with it like being able to channel it to enhance certain areas of my body definitely helped.

Of course, teaching it to Naruto was a chore as to him, chakra felt perfectly natural and his mind had passed it on as something that was meant to be there. It was difficult to teach him to be aware of it and control it consciously.

"Why can't I do it!" Naruto growled, frustrated.

I sighed, jumping down from the top of the tree that I managed to finish climbing.

"You need to calm down." I told him.

He took a deep breath and tried again.

I watched in anticipation as his feet stuck to the tree trunk, and he started running up. But after twelve steps, his feet sunk into the trunk, causing splinters, and he had to flip and land back on the ground.

"Argh! How do I do this?" He cried out.

"Feel your chakra, concentrate on it being at your feet. Too much and the tree will break, too little and you'll fall. Don't be complacent just because you managed a few steps and lose focus." a voice said.

Naruto and I turned around to see an ANBU with a dog mask and spiky silver hair standing behind us, watching.

Naruto closed his eyes and breathed deeply again, before standing there for a few seconds. His eyes snapped open, filled with determination as he once again ran at the tree.

"Yea you did it!" I cheered when he reached the top. Naruto grinned, giving me a victory sign as he flipped back to the ground.

The 'mystery' ANBU chuckled as he started walking towards us.

"Thank you ANBU-san! I was able to complete this stupid exercise due to your advice!" Naruto said.

"It was nothing." he said.

"Do you need something?" I asked. After all, there had to be a reason someone would check on us after all these years of leaving us alone.

"The Hokage requests to see the both of you regarding your attendance at the academy." Kakashi said.

"The academy? Finally! I'm going to be a ninja!" Naruto declared.

I rolled my eyes, laughing at his antics. "Let's go then." I said.

The three of us started walking in the general direction of the Hokage tower, through the town.

By now, Naruto and I were almost immune to the glares of the villagers, but Kakashi was obviously not. I could feel the killer intent he directed to anybody who whispered behind our backs or sent glares our way.

When we passed by a certain ramen store, I heard a loud growl from Naruto's stomach. Laughing sheepishly, he scratched his head and looked down.

"ANBU-san, we haven't eaten breakfast yet and it's almost lunchtime. Could we eat something before we go to the tower?" I pleaded.

The ANBU paused in his steps before sighing and nodding his head.

"Ichiraku Ramen here I come!" Naruto cheered.

I giggled and settled down beside him on a seat at our favourite ramen stand. I used to think Naruto was overly obsessed with ramen whenever I watched the anime, but have you ever tried this thing? It was so incredibly delicious the way the broth slid down my tongue into my throat, and the smooth, chewy texture of those noodles... my stomach too, let out a growl at the thought.

The old man Teuchi placed a bowl of ramen in front of each of us and we dug in. Kakashi, of course, declined eating due to the inconvenience of his mask.

Teuchi had at first, just like everyone else, treated us as monsters. However, he took pity on us one night when we were scavenging for food behind his house three years ago. He gave us a bowl of noodles each, and well, we became addicted. Alright maybe I wasn't but Naruto definitely was. Subsequently, we came every Monday morning for a free bowl, or ate here when we could afford it. Affording it meaning stealing money from mean civilians of course.

After the meal of about 5 bowls each, I looked at Kakashi expectantly for him to pay for the meal. I mean, he shouldn't expect two orphans living in the wilderness to have any money at all right?

"Troublesome kids..." he muttered, footing the bill.

Upon reaching the Hokage tower, we were brought straight to the office. It was the first time I actually met the Hokage (except for when I was born), and I was surprised at the resentment that welled up when I saw him. Resentment for the seven years he left us to fend for ourselves, to take in the hate of every civilian for something we had zero control over. For god's sake, we were the children of the fourth! Even if he could not make the village love us, he could have at least provided a home, provided food, provided clothes. But no! He was probably just looking at us through his stupid crystal ball and thinking, 'oh they should be fine'.

'Well, we are fine, no thanks to you though.' I thought, glaring at him as we walked into the room. He glanced at me and had a look of surprise on his face.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked me.

I gritted my teeth, "No, Hokage-sama."

He sighed, laying back into his seat. He rubbed his temples, before reaching into his drawer and pulling out some files.

"Would the both of you like to attend the academy?" he asked.

"Of course, dattebayo! You don't even have to ask! I'm going to be a ninja and surpass even you!" Naruto pointed at his face.

I rolled my eyes, telling him to calm down and be respectful to the Hokage, not that I was, really, with all the glaring.

The Hokage smiled at Naruto, and then turned to me. "And you?"

"Definitely." I answered.

"That's great. Could you two just put your thumbprints here... And here..." he passed us an inkpad and a few slips of paper.

"When are we starting?" I asked.

"Next month, on the 2nd of January. We will inform you other details at a later date."

I nodded, grinning at Naruto who grinned back even though he didn't understand half of the conversation. He had long gotten used to how I knew so many things and just clicked with adults, while he just stood there knowing I would explain things to him later.

"If there is nothing else, ANBU-san here will escort you back." The Hokage said.

"Can we have a proper place to live?" I requested.

The Hokage was taken aback at my question. Did he actually think we enjoyed living in a tree?

"I... I'll try to make arrangements about that." he said.

As we turned around, the door opened from the outside and someone I couldn't recognize walked in.

"What a precocious child, requesting lodging from the Hokage." he said. He had black hair and dark eyes, and on his shirt held the Uchiha Crest.

"Fugaku-san, please take a seat while I settle this." the Hokage ordered lightly.

Uchiha Fugaku walked into the room fully, tailed by two younger Uchihas.

"I would like to offer my place to house them while you try to find them an apartment." Fugaku said, surprising everyone in the room.

"I am pleased by your offer but I am afraid the two children would have to first consent to it." the Hokage said. "What do you think, Mizuno-chan?"

I stared and stared, my mind reeling. Never once in seven years had I doubted that I was in the Naruto-verse from the 'canon'. Not until today. And It wasn't even because of Fugaku's unnatural kindness towards us, no, that wasn't it.

I was staring at the Uchiha brothers who had entered the room.

There were two Uchiha Sasukes.

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This was NOT made up on the spot I actually wanted to add it in the summary but figured it wouldn't be a surprise like that even though most of the story would be centered on this. I'll add it to the summary soon though. Tell me what you think? (:


	4. Chapter 4: Uchiha Seiichi

Heeeeeeeeeyyyy sorry for the late update! Hope you like it (:

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Chapter 4: Uchiha Seiichi

"Mizuno-chan?" The repeated question pulled me out of my staring.

"Wha-What?" I asked.

"Would you like to move into the Uchiha compound temporarily?" The Hokage asked again.

"Oh. Ok." I replied dazedly.

"It's settled then. Dog, can you escort them to pack their belongings before bringing them to the Uchiha compound?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Kakashi placed a hand each on our backs and lead us out of the room.

"You okay, Mizuno?" Naruto asked, waving a hand in front of my face. "You look kinda pale."

"Are you sick?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm fine." I said. "Ne ANBU-san, how many sons does Fugaku-sama have?"

"Three, why do you ask?"

"It's nothing..." I flashed him a smile and continued walking. "Let's go!"

We gathered our few clothes and scrolls, and made our way to the Uchiha compound.

"You know... I'm already missing our tree! We spent so many years there and it was so fun and everything! And the Uchihas kind of scares me..." Naruto whined.

"Idiot." I told him. "At the Uchiha compound we'll have shelter and won't have to put up plastic sheets to cover us when it rains... I'm sure they'll give us nice new clothes, and you can even eat ramen everyday!"

"Really?" he asked, eyes sparkling.

I laughed and nodded. I was glad Naruto would finally be able to have a normal childhood, instead of the usual scavenging and begging. Fugaku's offer was surprising, but welcomed. Afterall, it would also give me time to investigate why there was an extra Uchiha in the family.

"We're here." Kakashi said.

I stopped walking and looked up. There was an entrance much like the Konoha Gates, with guards at each side, who were currently glaring at us.

"ANBU-san, for what reason would you bring these two... monsters here?" the guard asked.

I growled. "You little-"

"They're with me." a voice from behind said.

"Fugaku-sama!" the guard exclaimed with wide eyes. "But..."

"Move aside." Fugaku ordered.

The guard bowed and scampered to the side.

"I shall take my leave then. Be aware that if these two are ill-treated here the Hokage will not hesitate to remove them from your charge." Kakashi told the Uchiha leader before he shunshined away.

Fugaku turned to us and led us in. We walked through a mass of bungalow-like houses, to a bigger one situated in the middle of the compound. Uchihas nodded their heads to Fugaku in respect but looked at us in distaste. Naruto hid behind me as we walked, as if I could somehow shield him from the glares.

"Fugaku-san." I started.

"Don't worry," he reassured us. "You won't have to deal with their glares by tomorrow."

I frowned and continued walking. We reached the house a few minutes later, and were met with a middle-aged woman.

"Welcome home, Fugaku-kun." She greeted, before bending down to our eye level and gave us a warm smile. "Welcome to our house, Naruto-kun, Mizuno-chan."

Naruto crept out from behind me and smiled at her timidly.

"Nice to meet you, Mikoto-san." I said, sticking out my hand. Her eyes grew sad as she accepted my outstretched hand.

We were brought to a room on the second floor. It was furnished with two beds and a closet, a table with a lamp, a chair and had one bathroom.

"Cool!" Naruto exclaimed before jumping on one of the beds, enticing Mikoto's laughter.

"Ahh..." Naruto stopped when he remembered there was someone else there. "Sorry," he blushed.

"It's okay," She smiled. "Unpack and take a bath, and be down for dinner by 6.30?"

"Hai." Naruto and I chorused.

We had nothing much to unpack, so we decided to take turns showering before going down for dinner. After teaching him how to use the showers and taps, I allowed him to bathe on his own.

I wandered around the house, trying to familiarise myself with place. There was another room on the second floor at the end of the hallway, so I went and tried to peek inside.

"I don't think you should be sneaking around in aomeone else's house," someone said.

I spun around to see Uchiha Sasuke walking up from behind. Coming to a stop in front of me, he stretched his arm out.

"Uchiha Seiichi, nice to meet you."

Oh right. It wasn't Sasuke. It was the supposedly non-existent twin.

"Uzumaki Mizuno." I said, accepting his outstretched hand.

"Uzumaki?" He asked.

"Yes. Is there a problem?" I inquired.

"You're the blonde boy's twin sister?"

"Yeah. Though... how did you know we were twins? We look nothing alike." It was true. While Naruto inherited our father's blonde hair, I had my mother's fiery red hair. Naruto also had whisker marks from the Kyuubi, while I didn't. Unless you knew our past, it wasn't possible to deduce we were twins. After all, we could have just been normal siblings.

"I just-" he started.

"Ouch! Look where you're going, teme!"

"What? You were the one who knocked into me!"

I looked up to see Naruto and Sasuke on the floor, rubbing their foreheads.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I was coming out of the room to tell you I was done bathing when this guy ran up the stairs and knocked into me!" Naruto explained.

"Are you blind? You were the one who came running into me, idiot!" Sasuke protested.

"Im not an idiot!" Naruto exclaimed.

"You so are!" Sasuke stuck out his tongue and ran off."Come back here!" Naruto took off after him, leaving Seiichi and I standing stunned in the hallway.

"Kids..." I muttered.

"I should go after them before they break something shouldn't I." Seiichi sighed, walking away. I frowned. He was so mature for his age. Another Itachi-like genius? Ugh. Thinking of Itachi made my head hurt, like there was something important I was missing out.

I went back to my room and pulled out a notebook filled with English words. It was a book where I wrote down important events, for fear of forgetting them.

Let's see... Naruto year seven... Nothing. Naruto year eight...

23 January- Uchiha Massacre

Shit. How could I forget the massacre? Adding to the fact that I was living here now, this should be the first thing I thought about before moving in. Stupid, stupid, stupid!Today was the 20th of December. There was a little over 1month before it happened. What should I do?

I shut the book and went into the bathroom. The warm water from the showers felt so good. It was my first proper bath since I was reborn, and oh how I missed it.

Coming out of the bathroom, I spotted Seiichi standing in front of my table, in his hands was my number notebook. He had an annoying smirk plastered on his face.

"What are you doing!" I ran over and grabbed the book from him.

"As I suspected." He said.

"Suspected?" I asked. "Wha-" Then it hit me. He wasn't the only supposedly non-existent twin. Wasn't I one too? And I came from-

"My name was Joel. What was yours?" He asked.

In English.

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Reviews appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5: Moving in

Okay so from here on all italicised words means that its spoken in English. Hope you like this!

Chapter 5: Moving in

"_My name was Joel, what was yours?_" He asked.

In English.

I stood there gaping.

"_Hello? Anyone there_?" he waved his hands infront of my face.

"_Catlyn. My name was Catlyn. But... how is all this possible? Why are we here_?" I asked.

He shrugged. "_Who knows?_"

"Seiichi! Mizuno-chan! Dinner is ready!" Mikoto called from below.

"_We better get going_." I said. "_Don't speak English in front of others, understand_?"

"_I'm not stupid_." He rolled his eyes.

We made our way down to the dining table, where Naruto and Sasuke were quarelling who had the larger bowl of ramen.

"There's more in the kitchen dears, theres no need to fight." Mikoto told them.

Both children 'hmped' and turned away. Naruto, who turned to our direction, widened his eyes when he saw us.

"Mizuno! The ramen is really delicious! Like, even better than Ichiraku's!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Really?" I smiled. I walked over and sat down beside him.

Mikoto brought over two bowls of hot ramen and placed one in front of me, the other going to Seiichi who sat opposite.

"Itadakimas!" We said in unision, before digging in.

Man it sure was good. I downed it almost at Naruto's speed before asking for a second helping.

Just then, the door opened to reveal Itachi who was wearing his ANBU gear without the mask.

"Itachi-nii!" Sasuke, and to my surprise, Seiichi, got off their seats and pounced on him. Itachi gave a small smile, hugging both of them before gently putting them down. His face then went back to a stoic façade when he spotted strangers in the house.

"Nice to meet you." I said, giving him a smile. Naruto followed suit, but had half his body hidden behind me.

"Nice to meet you too." Itachi responded.

"Itachi-kun, did you see your father on the way back?" Mikoto asked, placing my second helping in front of me.

"He's still in the meeting with the elders." He said. "I'll take a bath before dinner."

We watched as he climbed the stairs to the second floor, entering the room beside mine and Naruto's.

"You're brother is scary." Naruto whispered to Sasuke.

"He's like the best older brother ever! He's so cool and strong... I'm gonna be just like him when I grow up!" Sasuke exclaimed.

"Itachi-nii's fierce to anyone he doesn't know. He'll be nice to you after awhile." Seiichi explained when he saw Naruto's doubtful face.

The room went back to silence, save for the slurping sounds Naruto made while eating.

After dinner, I cleared the plates and went to the kitchen to help wash the dishes.

"Thank you, Mizuno-chan. You can leave the bowls there and go play with the boys."

"It's okay. I actually miss washing dishes..." I said the last part in an undertone.

Mikoto, who was a ninja, obviously picked up what I said. "Have you washed dishes before?" She asked.

"Ahh... yea... I helped at Ichiraku's sometimes as payment for food." I replied.

"I see..." she said. "Life was pretty tough for you huh..."

"What do you expect? We were living alone as infants. Stupid villagers who can't even tell the difference between a child and a demon." I growled.

Tears welled up in Mikoto's eyes. Kneeling down, she pulled me close into a hug and whispered, "I'm sorry... I promised your mother I would take care of you two but... it was difficult to convince the elders to take you both in. I'm sorry..."

My eyes widened. Mikoto knew my mum? So that was why she would suddenly take us in. However, the elders wouldn't know that we were the fourth's children, so how were they convinced?

"It's okay." I told her. "Living out there allowed us to learn many things. Both of us are grateful that we are now allowed to live here."

She pulled away from me and smiled. "You're just like your dad, you know? Even though you look like your mum..."

"Who were my parents?" I asked.

Her eyes grew sad again. "They... I'll tell you when you're old enough."

"Okay." I shrugged and went back to the dishes.

While we were washing, Itachi came in looking for his food. I heated up his bowl of noodles before passing it to him, only to receive a grunt as thanks.

Grumbling about rude Uchihas, I finished the dishes and made my way up to my room.

"Ouch!" I shouted when something hit my head hard as I opened the door. Looking down, I saw a scroll rolling on the ground.

"HAHAHAHAHAH she fell for it!"

Sasuke and Naruto had collapsed on the ground laughing, and Seiichi was leaning against the wall clutching his stomach.

I stomped over to teach them a lesson, but ended up tripping over the fallen scroll.

More laughter erupted from the three boys and soon I found myself laughing as well.

"Don't think you boys are getting away with this." I growled once the laughter calmed down.

"Aww Mizuno. You know it was just a joke." Naruto said.

"I can't believe you didn't notice, though. It was a classic!" Seiichi laughed.

I rolled my eyes. "Who would've expected to be assaulted on their first day here? By my own brother even." I sent him a glare.

Naruto grinned and scratched his head sheepishly.

"Okay get out both of you. I need my sleep." I chased the Uchihas out of the room.

"Goodnight." Both of them said as they left.

I went to brush my teeth before going to bed. Lying on the bed, I stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep.

"I like it here." Naruto suddenly broke the silence.

I smiled in the darkness. "That's good. But it doesn't mean you can slack off okay? We're still going to train everyday."

"Hai haii. Goodnight, Mizuno." He yawned.

"Goodnight." I said.

When Naruto began snoring, I crept out of bed and left the room. There were too many things on my mind to sleep. Seiichi, Itachi, the massacre, Orochimaru, Akatsuki, Madara, just too many things.

I strolled along the corridor of the second floor and spotted Itachi leaning on the railing of the balcony. Deciding quickly, I walked towards him.

"Couldn't sleep?" I asked him.

"Hn." He grunted.

Thirty seconds of awkward silence.

"You.. don't seem too happy about us moving in." I stated.

He was silent for awhile before answering. "Is that so? I apologise for my hostility. It was not intentional."

"Oh."

One minute of less awkward silence.

"You..." I dragged on, looking for something to say.

"I?" He asked.

"Uhm... you should show more expression." I blurted.

He was visibly surprised at my statement. "The Shinobi rule is that one should get rid of all his emotions to be able to best serve the village. I consider myself a failure for being unable to do so."

A failure? Itachi was the epitome of a Shinobi. Is he thinking of the struggle of choosing between loyalty to his family and his village as a failure on his part?

"Shinobi rules... they're more like guidelines aren't they. You cant find a single leaf Shinobi who doesn't have emotions. Even the Hokage, the most powerful ninja of the village is overflowing with emotions. Hell, I'm going to be a ninja, and there's no way I'm going to follow that rule." I declared.

"Are you saying... that my way of being a ninja is wrong?" He accused.

"What? No! I'm saying that you shouldn't get rid of your emotions just because you're a ninja! We're all humans, you know." I said.

"Humans make mistakes because of emotions. Emotions cloud their judgement and make them weak." He argued.

"That's not true. Emotions is where strength comes from. When you have something protect is when you can surpass your limits and become stronger." I quoted future Naruto. "You're just afraid, aren't you, of the pain that having feelings bring."

"Shut up." He growled, sharingan activating. "You don't know anything."

"See? Anger. That's an emotion isn't it. You have emotions too. Don't suppress it. I saw how happy you were today when you saw Sasuke and Seiichi. Being happy feels good, doesn't it?" I told him, smiling and staring straight into his sharingan. "You should smile more too, it looks better on you."

He stared back awhile longer, before walking away.

I collapsed when he went out sight. The intensity of the sharingan was too much for me to handle. It was scary, the way it seemed as if your soul was laid out for him to see, and he could destroy it anytime he wanted. But staring into his sharingan was probably the only way I could get him to trust me.

I picked myself up and stumbled back to my bed, allowing myself to fall to blissful sleep.


	6. Chapter 6: Life with the Uchihas

Sorry for the extremely late Chapter ):

* * *

Chapter 6: Life with the Uchiha

"Wake up, Mizuno!"

I groaned and opened my eyes to see Naruto's face a few centimetres away from mine.

"You're awake!" He grinned.

"Not really." I looked out the window. "The sun's not even out yet. What's the big deal?"

"Sasuke's brother has a day off today, so he's gonna train the both of them. Sasuke asked me if we wanted to train with them!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Itachi agreed to train us?" I asked.

Naruto shrugged. "He told me to meet them at the back of the house in ten minutes if we wanted to."

"Let's go then." I jumped off my bed.

We got changed out of our pyjamas and left the room. Walking along the corridor, I spotted the balcony where me and Itachi were last night.

Argh, what am I thinking? Agreeing to train under the Uchiha I pissed off just the night before. I had to be looking for death.

We arrived at the backyard to see Itachi leading Seiichi and Sasuke in some stretching.

"I see you've decided to join us." Itachi said, staring straight at me.

"Uhhh... yea..." I replied, avoiding his eyes.

"So what we gonna do?" Naruto asked.

Itachi turned to him. "We'll start with a warm up. 20 laps around the compund."

"Whaaat? That's twice the usual amount!" Sasuke complained.

"I'm increasing it. Go." Itachi commanded.

Sasuke turned to Naruto and smirked. "I'll race you!"

Naruto grinned and sped off after Sasuke.

"So... what's with you and Itachi?" Seiichi asked, jogging beside me.

I gave him a questioning look.

He rolled his eyes. "He was giving you the death stare the whole time. Unless you somehow managed to piss him off I don't think he would do that."

"Really? He seems to be the type who would glare at people for no reason." I argued.

"Nope. You've read the manga. My brother really is a total pacifist. So what happened?" He asked.

"Oh fine..." I conceded. "We fought last night."

His eyes widened. "Fought?"

"Argued. We were arguing about some stuff. Apparently he got pissed because I totally won the argument. He turned on his freaking Sharingan at me! Why do you Uchihas even have that thing? Its creepy."

"Wow. What on earth were you guys arguing about?" He asked.

"Our ways of being a ninja." I told him.

"You're not serious!" He laughed. "You're not even technically a ninja!"

"I still won." I sniffed.

"Well... Itachi's way is a little boring..." he thought. "But to answer your question about Uchihas, it's obviously because we are the most awesome and powerful clan ever."

I snorted. "You do know the Senju beat the Uchiha don't you?"

"You're not even Senju. Don't be jealous because you don't have cool eyes like ours." He countered.

"I'm not. I'm stronger than you even without those eyes." I smirked.

"Oh?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Race you to the end!" I shouted to him as I ran ahead.

By the time we finished the twenty rounds, the sun was already up. Sasuke and Seiichi were lying on the ground panting, while Naruto and I danced around in victory.

Naruto had always been faster than me, so he came in first, followed by me, then Seiichi and Sasuke, who were almost half a round behind.

"What the hell kind of training do you guys do?" Sasuke asked.

"Well... we didn't really know how to train so we followed the ninjas at the training grounds. They were pretty secretive about it though, except for this guy..." I stopped when Naruto groaned.

"Don't remind me. I hope we never see him again!" He declared.

"Who is it?" Itachi asked.

"Maito Gai." I giggled.

Itachi's eyes widened slightly. "You were following Maito Gai's training regime?"

"Not fully... about half of whatever challenge he spouts out everyday." I told him.

"That's still quite impressive, for pre-academy students like you." Itachi said.

Naruto beamed with pride.

Sasuke, unhappy about the attention we were getting, butted in. "Can we start training already?"

"Alright. I need to see both Mizuno and Naruto's capabilities first. How about a spar?" Itachi suggested.

"Between me and Naruto?" I asked.

"No. Between me and both of you." He replied.

Naruto and I glanced at each other. It would have to be the first time we ever fought anyone besides each other.

"Then what do we do?" Seiichi asked.

"Watch. Analysing fighting styles is a kind of training too." Itachi said.

Seiichi nodded, moving away with Sasuke to give the three of us space.

To be clear, I had never learned any kind of martial arts in my previous life, so I really had zero clue on fighting and taijutsu. The kind of taijutsu style me and Naruto learned wasn't really any style at all. We just copied whatever our eyes could follow and whoever we happened to by spying on that day.

Itachi gave the signal, and Naruto charged. He sent a right jab towards Itachi's stomach, only to stumble when Itachi dodged. He fell foward, allowing his palms to touch the ground before lifting his feet to kick Itachi. This was dodged once again when Itachi twisted out of the way.

I saw this as a chance and aimed a punch to the back of his head. He turned quickly and caught my fist with his right hand, his left holding Naruto's leg to stop another attempted kick.

When he let go, we jumped out of the way before charging again. It was annoying, how we couldn't get a hit in no matter how hard we tried, and he hadn't even moved from his spot! Stupid jounins and their super fast reactions.

"That's enough." Itachi said after about 10 minutes.

Both of us stopped our assault.

"I can see you don't have a fixed stance." Itachi commented.

I shook my head. "We use a hybrid of whatever we remember from watching other ninjas. We didn't have any proper training, so we have no idea how to execute the moves properly as well.  
"

Itachi nodded. "Although not a master, I can perform some of those styles. I could help you polish them."

"Really?" Naruto asked, not used to the acts of kindness we were suddenly getting these days.

Itachi nodded again.

"Yatta! I'm gonna get stronger!" Naruro cheered.

"My turn, my turn!" Sasuke whined, getting impatient.

Itachi flicked his forehead. "Be patient." Then he turned to us. "Go and get a drink."

"Hai." Me and Naruto chorused.

We went back to the house and drank some water, grabbing a few bottles for the brothers.

Sasuke and Seiichi were sparring when we arrived. And even though I had almost no clue on taijutsu, I could tell from their movements that they were way ahead of us in the area.

"They're good." Naruto said from beside me.

I nodded. "That just means we have to train harder, ne?"

"Yeap!" He grinned.

After 10 minutes or so, Itachi signalled for them to stop and told them their mistakes. A few wrong hits here and there, a few unnecessary openings given to the opponent...

Sasuke and Seiichi nodded their heads before going off to spar again.

"Two of you start sparring too." Itachi told me and Naruto.

The rest of the morning was spent beating each other up, while he interjected when any of us made any mistakes in our strikes or defence.

When we finally stopped, the sun was already high in the sky. Itachi allowed us to rest while he showed us the moves we were supposed to learn.

Watching him go through each step was more hypnotising than any ballet concert I had ever watched. His movements were so fluid, so perfect. And he said he wasn't a master of those styles?

"Whoa... your brother is so cool." Naruto said to Sasuke and Seiichi in a wonder struck tone.

"He is, isn't he. I bet he's more powerful than father now." Seiichi said.

"I'm gonna be like him some day!" Sasuke declared.

"You?" I asked, skeptical. "How about in a hundred years?"

Sasuke growled. "You'll see! I'll beat Itachi-nii one day!"

"Stop talking and pay attention." Itachi, who stopped for a moment, scolded.

"Hai!"

I stared intently at the performed moves, trying to take in and remember each one. They were familiar, and I could actually recognise some of the moves he used as those we tried to copy by spying on other ninjas. But every time I got used to the style he was using, he switched to a different one.

Before I knew it, half an hour had passed and Itachi had finished going through every style that we had used this morning.

"How are we going to learn all that?" I groaned.

"You don't have to. Just take a few parts from each and create your own." Itachi replied.

I nodded slowly, even though I didn't think I could do it. "You'll help us, right?" I asked hopefully.

Itachi took a long time to answer. "I'll try. Lunch is probably ready. Let's go in."

The five of us walked into the house, and sure enough, lunch was on the table.

"No more ramen?" Naruto asked, disappointed when he didn't see the big bowls on the table.

"Ramen is bad for health." Seiichi told him.

"Yeah, and okaa-san's rice with saba and miso soup is nice too!" Sasuke vouched for his mother.

Mikoto laughed. "If you don't like it I'll cook something else next time, Naruto-kun."

"Ah no! It's just that the ramen yesterday was really delicious and I was kinda craving for it." He scratched his head sheepishly.

"I can cook it again tonight." Mikoto smiled at Naruto.

"Yatta!" He cheered.

We sat down and ate quickly, eager to get back to training.

"Itachi, could you follow me to the market later? I wouldn't mind having an extra pair of hands." Mikoto requested.

"Hai, okaa-san." Itachi said.

"Whaaat, then we have to train by ourselves?" Seiichi asked.

"Sorry, Seiichi. I need Naruto-kun and Mizuno-chan as well. The Hokage gave me funds to get you guys some clothes. So we're going shopping!" Mikoto grinned. "Do you boys want to come too?"

"We'll pass." Sasuke and Seiichi said quickly, trading glances at each other, then look at Itachi sympathetically. I swear I saw him pale a little.

That afternoon was the most enjoyable one I've had in a long while. We shopped for basic clothes, ninja shirts, vests, pants and sandals.

"Can we go home nowww? Naruto whined. "We've been shopping for three hours!"

Itachi nodded in agreement.

"But we haven't found a suitable kimono for the both of you for this Thursday's festival!" Mikoto exclaimed.

Let me explain. There was no Christmas here, but every 25th of December, the villagers, especially shinobi, celebrated the love of family. There was a festival held that had family games, or family-bonding activities. Of course, many ninjas don't have familied, so most of them celebrated it with their 'precious people', as Naruto would put it.

"Mikoto-san, we haven't went to that shop yet!" I pointed at a store further down the road.

I smirked when I heard Naruto groan and Itachi sigh. Hah. This was payback for the stupid prank and for using the sharingan at me.

The four of us went into the shop, two of us smiling happily, with the other two almost dragging their feet.

I browsed through the female kimonos, trying to see if any caught my eye, frowning when there wasn't any.

"How about the dark green one?" An unexpected voice suggested.

I turned around to see Itachi watching me.

"You just want to get this over with, don't you?" I accused. "How does green go with my red hair?"

"The contrast will bring out your hair colour." Itachi said impassively.

I took the green kimomo and held it infront of me while standing infront of a mirror. It was true. The green did make my hair stand out.

"Do you want that, Mizuno-chan? It looks beautiful." Mikoto, who finally settled Naruto's kimono and had walked over, commented.

I looked once again into the mirror. The kimono had spiral patterns on the bottom which somehow reminded me of Naruto. Making up my mind, I nodded.

"Great!" Mikoto clapped her hands. She took both kimonos and paid for it, then we made our way home.

We immediately went to train when we arrived home, before taking baths and having ramen for dinner. Soon I found myself staring at the ceiling above my bed as I tried to drift off to sleep. Naruto was already snoring softly beside me.

Growling at my active mind, I stepped out of my bed and went to the balcony once again. For reasons unknown, my heart sank a little when I didn't see Itachi there.

I stared at the full moon hanging in the sky, smiling in contentment at the life I was living now. Despite knowing the fact that it wouldn't last long, I still wished that I could live like that a little longer. Closing my eyes at the thought of having this family that I felt close to in only a day being broken apart, i wondered if there was any possible way to stop it.

"Can't sleep?"

I jumped.

Itachi walked onto the balcony in full ninja gear, hands holding an ANBU mask.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I was summoned to go on a mission suddenly." He replied.

I nodded. ANBU lead a pretty hard life. "How long will you be gone?"

"I should be back by Thursday." He walked towards me.

I took a step back. "Oh."

"Take care of Sasuke and Seiichi for me." He stopped in front of me and flicked my forehead. "And Naruto too, though I don't think I need to tell you that."

"I got it." I scowled, rubbing my forehead. "Shouldn't they be the one taking care of me? I'm a girl."

"You're much more mature than them." He said.

"Fine. Good luck for your mission." I told him.

He bent down and patted my head. "Thank you." Then he disappeared.

I sighed and went back to my room. The days to come would be troublesome without Itachi to control the two brothers. I touched the area on my forehead where he hit me.

He didn't have to hit so damn hard, did he?

* * *

I hope Itachi isn't too OOC here. I'll try to post the next chapter ssooooonnn. Reviews do motivate me by the way :


	7. Chapter 7: Merry Christmas

Here's another chapterr. Sorry ):

Chapter 7: Merry Christmas

True to my predictions, Naruto and Sasuke were uncontrollable without the older Uchiha around. Not that Seiichi or I were any more well behaved. The pranks that erupted within the walls of the Uchiha compound turned the place upside down.

On the first day, every house with the exception of ours had their salt and sugar switched, much to the annoyance of the clan. None of them bothered to figure out who did it though, and we got off scot-free.

On the second day, the Uchihas found their undergarments hung on their doorway, exposed for the rest of the clan to see. Sadly, most of those undergarments were either black or grey thus the streets were not as colourful as expected. The Uchiha were really mad this time, and tried to find out who dared to prank the almighty clan. Most of them suspected us, but had no proof.

The bomb hit when most of them came out of their houses the next day with bright multicoloured hair. This time, however, they came straight to the house and demanded for us.

"Is there a problem?" Mikoto, who answered the door, asked.

"This has gone too far, Mikoto-sama. The first two pranks we could let go, but this," he pointed as his hot pink hair. "This will affect me carrying out my mission, and not to mention the pride of the Uchiha."

Mikoto held back a giggle at his hair. Putting on a straight face, she asked, "Do you think my children would make fun of their own clan?"

"I- I didn't mean your children, Mikoto-sama. I was referring to the demo- I mean your guests." He said.

Mikoto narrowed her eyes at his slip. "I assure you that both Naruto and Mizuno have been very good children. Come to me only if you can prove that it was them. Otherwise, do not disturb me just to make false accusations. Good luck on your mission." She shut the door in his face.

The four of us, who were hiding behind the couch watching the whole scene, scampered away when she turned slowly to face us.

"Come back here! All of you have some explaining to do!" She shouted.

We crawled back and stood in front of her, facing the ground guiltily.

"I'll let this go if they really can't find any proof. But you guys will face the consequences if you didn't cover your tracks well enough, understand?" She glared.

"Hai..." we chorused.

"Don't worry okaa-san, we were extremely careful when we were doing the pranks. They won't find anything on us!" Seiichi assured his mother.

"I hope not... lunch is in two hours. Don't be late!" She gave her a salute before running off to do our daily training

.Naruto and I were improving a lot in our taijutsu, after sparring with the brothers and getting pointers from Fugaku when he returned at night. We aided Sasuke and Seiichi in the tree walking exercise, and trained our stealth together by carrying out pranks. Overall, I would say that life was definitely more eventful after moving in with the Uchihas.

The next day during lunch, Mikoto explained to us what would happen that night. "Be bathed by four so I can dress you up, okay? We'll be going to the festival in the village for family day."

Naruto's eyes widened at the mention of 'family day'. "We'll be joining your family?" He asked.

"What are you talking about, idiot. You're almost part of the family already." Sasuke told him.

Naruto looked like he was going to cry.

Mikoto laughed and ruffled Naruto's hair. "We are more than happy to provide you a home, Naruto-kun." She lifted her head to look at me. "You too, Mizuno-chan."

I smiled at her gratefully.

"Alright, enough sentimental stuff." Seiichi said. "Let's get back to training."

Mikoto pouted. "All you do now is train, Seiichi. You don't spend time with your okaa-san anymore."

Seiichi was silent for a moment, before he rolled his eyes. "We're going for a festival later. Isn't that spending time with you?"

Mikoto laughed and shooed us away before clearing the table.

"Let's spar today!" I exclaimed. "Me and Seiichi, Sasuke and Naruto. Okay?"

They nodded and we went into the field.

"Why don't you spend more time with your mother?" I asked Seiichi as the both of us walked away from Naruto and Sasuke, preparing to spar.

Seiichi did not answer, choosing to get into his stance instead. I frowned, getting into mine.

He came at me first, with a sloppy punch towards my head. I caught his wrist and twisted his arm, aiming a kick for his stomach. He blocked and headbutted me, forcing me to release my grip.

I recovered quickly, bending down to avoid a jab and executed a perfect leg sweep. Seiichi stumbled onto the ground, falling flat on his stomach. He did not try to get up, and just laid there unmoving.

I sighed and sat under a nearby tree, watching Naruto and Sasuke spar. After awhile, Seiichi got up and sat beside me.

"_Why are we here?_" He asked, in English.

"_I don't know_." I replied.

"_They're gonna die, aren't they_? And I'm powerless to stop it." He said.

"_Would you stop it? If you had the power to_?" I asked.

He shut his eyes, a pained expression on his face. "_Would you_?" He asked me.

I thought about it for awhile. In a way, I was also a part of the Uchiha family now. The death of the Uchiha clan would sadden me as well, though not as much as it would Seiichi. Afterall, it was the massacre that changed Sasuke from an innocent and cheerful boy to a person who only thought about vengeance. But it was either that, or a civil war in Konoha. Maybe I was selfish, or a coward, but the former definitely sounded better. I was too afraid of an unknown future, and Seiichi probably feels the same.

"_No, I wouldn't_." I replied.

He nodded."_Itachi felt that the massacre was a better choice. I guess he's right_."

I frowned. "_It doesn't mean you should distance yourself from your family, you know. That would make your parents sad..._"

Seiichi sighed. "_I know._"

I put my arm around his shoulders, in an attempt to comfort him.

"_I'm fine, really. I had lived for seven years knowing all this anyway. I'm more worried about Sasuke, and even Itachi_." He said.

_"You're worried for Itachi_?" I asked.

"_He sacrificed himself for all of us, then died. That's not gonna happen this time, not when I know the truth_." He declared.

I smiled. "_I won't let him die, either_."

Seiichi raised his eyebrows at me. "_Why? Are you in love with my brother now_?"

I flushed. "_What? No way! It's just_-"

"_He's sooo hot and noble and... perfect_?" He gushed.

I growled, standing up and pointing towards the field.

"Get up, Uchiha Seiichi, break is over." I said in Japanese, effectively ending our discussion.

Seiichi laughed and walked towards me. "I won't go easy on you."

"You won't have the chance to." I grinned.

* * *

The match ended with Seiichi winning, just like always. I swear I was going to beat him some day, maybe after I got used to swapping styles while fighting.

We had taken a bath, and I was waiting for Mikoto to finish dressing up the boys. I was in my room alone, as Naruto got dragged into the brothers' room.

The door creaked open, revealing Mikoto carrying a green kimono and a box of accessories. She ordered me to stand up, as she got to work.

Soon, I was dressed in the kimono and had my hair up in a bun, with a white sakura flower attached to it.

"You look beautiful." Mikoto said softly. I probably reminded her of my mother.

I smiled at her. "Thanks."

She patted my head. "The boys are downstairs, could you make sure they don't mess up their clothes while I get ready?"

"Sure." I laughed. We walked down the stairs together, and I entered the living room as she went to hers.

When I stepped into the room, I felt three pairs of eyes turn to me. The three boys were sitting on the sofa, watching me as i walked in. Naruto was wearing a blue kimono with the same spirally patterns as mine, while Sasuke's and Seiichi's had the Uchiha fans on theirs, wearing black and silver respectively.

"You guys look good." I told them, walking in their direction.

"So do you." Sasuke said. Was that a blush on his face?

"You look reeeaally pretty Mizuno! You should dress up like that more often!" Naruto grinned.

I smacked his head. "How am I going to train in this get-up, baka!"

"You should act like a lady more often too." Seiichi commented.

I smiled, sitting down close next to him. I placed my hand on his tigh, sliding my hand up and down. "Is this lady enough, Seiichi-kun?"

He smirked. "Not really. Want to move closer?"

"What are you two doing?" Naruto asked.

"You'll be sitting on his lap if you move any closer." Sasuke said to me.

I blinked a few times, remembering there were innocent kids who weren't actually twenty-five years old.

Seiichi rolled his eyes. "We're bonding, Naruto, bonding. You wanna join in?"

Naruto looked confused. "Why are you two bonding for?"

I laughed and sat beside him. "It's to improve family relationship. Like this." I gave him a hug.

He just grinned and hugged me back. "I like bonding."

Mikoto walked in then, smiling at the loving scene. "I see you guys are getting into the mood already. Shall we go?"

"Yea!" Sasuke cheered. "I bet I could win more games than you all."

"You're on!" We accepted the challenge.

"Control youself. Don't bring shame to the Uchiha name." Fugaku commanded, walking into the living room as well.

"Hai!" We said, putting on our shoes and running out of the house.

We went to the village, played games, bought food to eat, and took a full family photo, excluding Itachi. It was a pity, that he couldn't spend the last family day with his family.

I requested for a small print of the photo, deciding to give it to Itachi when he returned.

"Is that for Itachi?" Seiichi asked when he saw the small photo.

I nodded.

"So... there was something between you two after all."

I gave him an exasperated look. "I just thought it was sad he couldn't join us today, okay?"

Seiichi laughed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a locket. "Here. I won this at one of the games just now." He said.

I took the necklace and slid the picture into the locket. It fitted perfectly.

"It would be a nice Christmas present for him." I told Seiichi.

"We don't celebrate Christmas anymore." He reminded me.

"I know." I sighed. "But here." I took out a box from my bag of prizes and handed it to him. "Merry Christmas!"

He opened the box, carefully taking out the bracelet inside. It had ten coloured stones strung on it, an English letter carved on each.

"Earthlings?" He asked.

I held up my wrist, which held the same bracelet, for him to see. "Just a little token for our little club."

"I think we're still on Earth, though." He said.

"If you're gonna nitpick at my present you can just pass it back." I growled.

"Just kidding." He strapped the bracelet on his wrist.

The festival ended with bright fireworks lighting up the skies of Konoha, as we sat outside the Uchiha compound watching it. Fugaku had his arms around Mikoto, while the rest of us lay on the grass watching the show.

"I'm going to become the Hokage." Naruto suddenly declared.

"Why the sudden thought, Naruto?" Mikoto asked.

"I'm happy now, here, in this village. I wanna protect that!" Naruto said cheerfully.

"I'm sure you can." Mikoto laughed.

"Yeah, in a hundred years." Sasuke snorted.

"What did you say, teme!" Naruto hit him lightly.

"You'll make a horrible Hokage if you are angered so easily. Shinobi should control their emotions." Fugaku scolded.

Naruto scratched his head sheepishly. "Can you train us tonight, Fugaku-san?"

Fugaku looked thoughtful. "I guess. Follow me."

The family, excluding Mikoto who left for home, got up and followed Fugaku to the lake. He made some hand seals, spitting out a huge fireball.

My eyes widened. Was he going to teach us the fireball jutsu?

Fugaku turned to us. "The hand seals are horse, snake, ram, monkey, horse, tiger. Practice the seals first, then use chakra."

"Whoa that's so cool!" Sasuke exclaimed. "I can't wait to do it!"

"Patience, Sasuke." Seiichi said.

I laughed when I saw Naruto itching to try it out too. I went through the hand seals a few times, without the chakra. After all of us did it for around a hundered times, we turned to Fugaku for permission to perform the jutsu. At his nod, we spread out to different sides of the lake, trying it.

When I channelled chakra to my mouth, I felt a strange pull on my abdominal area. It felt different from the previous times I used chakra, so I held it back. The results were disappointing. I only managed to spit out a sphere the size of my fist.

I looked around at the rest. Sasuke managed a half a body sized ball, and Seiichi's slightly larger than his. Naruto, however...

"Did you see that?" Naruto asked excitedly.

We were stunned. Naruto's fireball was almost as big as Fugaku's, but it felt different. It was more sinister, more deadly. He must have accidentally drawed on the Kyuubi's chakra due to the large amount of chakra required for this technique.

"How did you do that?" Sasuke asked.

I saw Fugaku frown. He probably did not expect the Kyuubi to appear now. He looked struggled, debating whether to reveal the secret or not.

"It's the Kyuubi, isn't it?" Seiichi said.

I whipped around to glare at him. What the hell was he thinking?

"How do you know about it?" Fugaku asked Seiichi, his eyes stern.

"I... guessed? Is it true?" Seiichi put on his best innocent look.

Fugaku sighed, motioning for us to sit down. We obeyed, waiting to see what he was going to tell us.

"The Kyuubi was the beast that attacked Konoha and killed the Fourth, wasn't he?" Sasuke asked. "What does it have to do with Naruto?"

"The Fourth sacrificed himself to save the village, he wasn't killed. He exchanged his life to seal the Kyuubi into somebody, a newborn." Fugaku informed Sasuke.

Naruto looked confused. "Sealed it?"

Fugaku nodded. "It was too powerful to be killed, so he sealed it into a baby."

"Our birthday's on the day the Fourth died. So..." I feigned realisation

He nodded again. "It was sealed into Naruto."

Everybody went silent, the truth sinking in.

"Why didn't anybody tell me? Is that why everybody hates me so much?" Naruto asked.

"This is an S-class secret, so none of you are to tell anybody about it, understood?" He said.

Naruto and Sasuke nodded dumbly, while I went back to glaring at Seiichi. He had alot of explaining to do.

Suddenly, two ANBU landed in front of us, looking around. "Fugaku-sama, the Hokage requires your presence."

"I understand." Fugaku turned to us. "Can you kids go back to the compound by yourselves?"

We nodded, and he disappeared together with the ANBU.

"Does it hurt? Having a beast in you?" Sasuke asked, breaking the silence as we walked.

Naruto laughed at his question. "I didn't even know I had something like that. It... it doesn't hurt me. It's other people who do."

Sasuke slung his arm around Naruto's shoulders. "We'll get stronger so no one can bully you anymore, okay?"

Naruto grinned at him. "Obviously, no one would dare to bully the future Hokage!"

I saw Seiichi smile from the corner of my eye. Maybe, maybe letting Naruto know of the furball would be better for him afterall. Furthermore, allowing Sasuke in on the secret made them closer, and would help him to understand Naruto more.

That night, I went to the balcony once again to clear my mind. The world now had deviated a lot from the canon storyline. How would that change things?

"You shouldn't dwell on things too much, you know." Seiichi walked up beside me, carrying a box in his hands.

"What's this?" I asked, pointing at the box.

He passed it to me, gesturing for me to open it. I lifted the lid, eyes widening at what I saw. It was a real, metal kunai, unlike the one we use for training, and had a globe drawn on the hilt.

"I thought you said we were still on Earth." I said.

He rolled his eyes. "Maybe we aren't."

I smiled and put the kunai back into the box. "Thank you."

"Merry Christmas." He told me.

"Merry Christmas!" I laughed.


End file.
